Roulette is a well-known casino game which has been played for many years. A typical roulette wheel includes a number ring bearing a circular array of numbered segments bearing numbers 1 through 36. In addition, the number ring typically includes the numbers 0 and 00 disposed at diametrically opposite locations on the number ring, or a “0” on its own. The numbers 1 through 36 are not disposed in numerical order, but are typically disposed in a predetermined arrangement, such that roulette wheels located in different casinos will have the same standard predetermined number ring arrangement. The numbers disposed in a circular array in the number ring region of the wheel bear the alternating colours of red and black, with the exception of the 0 and 00 numbers, which are typically coloured green. A ring of pockets corresponding in number to the plurality of numbers of the circular number ring lies adjacent, but radially inward of the number ring, on the typical roulette wheel. In addition, a typical roulette wheel includes a circular, inclined ball track, disposed above, and radially outwardly of the number ring.
In operation of a typical roulette game, players place chips or tokens on a betting layout located on a roulette table, and then the croupier or dealer manually spins the roulette wheel and then places the ball in motion about the circular ball track. As the wheel slows, the ball moves radially inwardly and comes to rest in one of the pockets associated with a particular number of the number ring. After the ball comes to rest in one of the pockets, the croupier or dealer settles the various wagers placed on the table layout in accordance with predetermined rules and wager odds and the process is repeated.
One of the reasons roulette has had enjoyed enduring success is the unpredictability of the outcome of the roulette wheel. This is now under threat since prediction devices have been devised which are capable of being taken into casinos and giving a dynamic prediction of which sector of the wheel rotor the ball will land in. Such prediction devices work in a variety of ways but a general underlying principle of these devices relies on measuring the rotation speed of the rotor, decelerating slowly, and the speed of the ball, which decelerates more rapidly on the ball track in a predictable manner, and calculating a predicted finishing position of the ball based on a relationship between the speed of the rotor and the speed of the ball.
Because the house odds on a standard European roulette wheel are approximately 2.7%, a small number of accurate predictions can rapidly move the odds in the advantage of the player.
To address the problem of prediction devices, roulette wheel manufacturers have attempted to increase the “randomness” of roulette wheels by making wheels with shallower pockets, bouncier surfaces, lower profiles, etc. However, as the prediction devices become more sophisticated, the problem persists.